Family Additions
by tombombadillo
Summary: Kate thinks they have enough pugs. Castle disagrees. (Puggy!Universe)


**Because it's my favourite Pretty Princess Pug's birthday today, and I love her so very, very much so this calls for pugs. PUGS. Everybody loves pugs.**

**Disclaimer: today I had the most amazing news and I can't stop shrieking and crying and screaming and not even Mr. Fantastic can ruin that for me.**

* * *

"We need a new pug."

"We do not need a new pug." Kate replies, dropping her book on her lap and turning her head to look at her husband. "We have three pugs. Four if you count dog sitting for Alexis. We do not need another one."

"We do!" Castle insists, turning on those damn big blue puppy dog eyes. "We don't have Latte anymore. We need another Latte!"

"We do not need another Latte. We have enough pugs."

"But we do need another Latte. We can't be a family of pugs without a Latte. We outnumber the number of pugs in the house."

"We would outnumber them anyway."

"Then we got two!"

"Castle, we are not getting another dog, let alone two. We have enough of them. We don't need two more pugs just to be a family of pugs. We have a family of pugs. Isn't that enough?"

* * *

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this."

Castle has his head in a cardboard box and she doesn't hear his reply, but then he's straightening up with two of the puppies in his hands. "Look, this is Mendoza, and this is Americano. Look at them, Kate. They're just so cute and adorable and look at their little faces!"

"Americano? Seriously?"

"What's wrong with Americano?"

Kate lifts the so called Americano from his hand and lifts her up to give her a proper inspection. The little lady wriggles in her hands, her mouth spread in a so called smile. "No, she's definitely a Corretto."

"Corretto? Your coffee knowledge never fails to surprise me."

"Mendoza and Corretto. Okay. Fine."

"Both of them?" He's looking at her like she's his damn mother and she's just said he could have two scoops of ice cream. "If you don't want two, I'll put one back."

"Right, and which one are you going to put back?" She cuddles Corretto to her chest, already hating Castle for making her become attached to the little pug. "And you're gonna have to wrestle Corretto out of my hands."

Castle looks from pug to pug and then sighs. "Okay, I can't pick. It's gonna have to be both."

* * *

Mendoza is like a bulldozer. He's not particularly _violent_, but he's boisterous. They've come home to many a cushion torn up, the stuffing littered around the loft like there's been a mini snow storm. Mendoza doesn't even try to act innocent; he'll sit on that destroyed cushion like it's his throne. Castle has already replaced five pairs of shoes, Kate has bought more new shirts and Ben has mourned more than one loss of cuddly toys. All the dog experts say that puppies like to destroy things and he should grow out of it, but Kate's not particularly amused. Corretto, on the other hand is small and quiet and likes to drag her blanket under the sofa and fall asleep. Kate has to admit that the timid pug is her favourite, loves curling up in front of the fire with a book and Corretto in the v of her legs, her blanket over her head.

Ben loves Mendoza. Regardless of how many stuffed toys the pug has completely demolished, the ten year old is hopelessly in love with him. Castle huffs that his pug has been stolen, but Mendoza seems to know here he truly belongs. Every night, without fail, he's asleep on his favourite destroyed cushion, lovingly placed under Castle's desk. Frankly it smells, and Kate says they should just get rid of it. He'll find another one, no doubt, it's not like he doesn't destroy any more cushions, they come home to two more ruined ones every week, and really would he notice if it's gone? Kate thinks Castle is just being too soft.

* * *

"It's not soft!" He defends, even though he has a look of disgust on his face every time he sits at his desk. "It's his favourite cushion!"

"And it stinks, Castle! It's under your desk, and he sleeps on it and he chews on it and it's covered in slobber and dog hair and it's _disgusting_. Just throw it away, we'll give him a new one."

"You can't just give him a new one! It's like his baby blanket! You can't take away a baby blanket."

"He's not a baby anymore. Throw. It. Away."

Castle pushes his chair away and peers under the table. Mendoza is there, pride of place on his cushion, his eyes shiny and dark in the dim shadows under his desk. Completely protective of his throne. "I can't. He's going to hate me."

"He's not going to hate you. He's a dog. He's going to survive."

"Well, it's okay for you. Corretto doesn't drool half as much as Mendoza, and her blanket is washable. If I put this in the wash I would."

"We could… have we still got that half of the union jack cushion? We could sew the two together…"

* * *

In the end, the best option they have is to take the stuffing out of both cushions, wash them, sew them together and then re-stuff them. And they don't smell, and it fits perfectly under Castle's desk. And after some uncertain sniffing, and batting with his paws, Mendoza seems to accept it perfectly. He still destroys pillows, and shoes and shirts and he gets his paws on one or more of Castle's prized journals. He's ridiculous and crazy and really so completely different from the rest of the family.

But really, when Kate thinks about it, he may be boisterous and he may destroy things and he may head butt you when you're not expect it, but they wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
